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Avenger by Krista
Chapter 10:
With her stitches replaced Meg was allowed to rest again, Hippocrates wanting to keep her overnight for observation to see if she would have another fit, and within a few hours she began to wake and had a similar episode, but Hercules and Hippocrates were not the only ones to see.
“Well well well, if it isn’t Nutmeg!” Meg spun around, once again empty-handed on the banks of the Styx. She froze when she felt a hot breath on the back of her neck and dared not to turn around. The voices around her silenced and vanished with this new visiter. Cold fingers slipped over her shoulders before one hand caressed the side of her face, “I’ve missed you. You were my only real chance to defeat Jerkules,
“Meg!” Hercules shouted when her convulsions began, but they stopped short and she settled, her breathing stopped. “MEGARA!” Hercules wailed, but was pushed back by Hippocrates who immediately began to try and resuscitate her.
“You’re owed nothing Hades.” Megara coughed harshly, taking in ragged breaths. Hercules, still distraught with tears, was at her side in moments sobbing so uncontrollably whatever he was saying was lost in a garbled slur. She was trembling, barely aware that it was Hercules who was gripping her now, if she had the strength she would have slapped him. It took some time for her to calm down, her panic heightened by the anxiety of Hercules and Hippocrates.
“What happened?” Meg finally asked after some time.
“You…” Herc’s voice cracked and Hippocrates sighed,
“Megara, it appears that you had a seizure… you gave us quite a scare you stopped breathing and your heart stopped for a few moments there. I want to keep you here for observation for a little while.”
“With your fragile condition you need to be monitored.” Meg sighed,“What if you come to the villa? Then I can go home…”
Hippocrates sighed, “I have patients in the morning I can’t abandon them. I promise you’ll be well taken care of here.” She furrowed her brows some and tried to turn onto her side but found that the pain in her side stopped that. Despite how tired she was she was unwilling to fall asleep. The images kept flashing through her mind. Hercules was diligently by her side and once Hippocrates was gone from the room he kissed her, almost desperately.
“Oh Gods I thought I lost you again.” He squeezed her hand and stared at her and she almost couldn’t comprehend the reality of what he was saying.
“But you didn’t.” She wanted to smile but found she couldn’t. She wanted to tell him about the voices, the river Styx, the waking up in an alley the night before she was stabbed, about Hades. But a part of her wouldn’t let her. Suck it up. She scolded. But she knew this was so much more than nightmares or bad memories. This was something else, and it had damn near killed her. Something was seriously wrong, but she refused to believe it had anything to do with the underworld. She shifted uncomfortably and Herc frowned down at her. She hadn’t heard his previous few sentences but managed to focus her attention back onto him,
“-go home soon, I promise”
Meg nodded. “I want to go home.”
“No” she interjected promptly
“But-”
“Herc those… whatever they are… happen when I fall asleep here. I’m staying awake until I can go home!”
“If it happens again and we’re not here… Meg I can’t-”
“You won’t lose me.” Herc just bit his lip and leaned down to kiss her again, this time getting a response from Meg who returned his affection.
“I love you”
“I love you too.”
“I’ll get you home soon, I promise.” Meg nodded, and felt herself beginning to drift to sleep but forced herself back awake, she refused to fall asleep again. But inevitably her body’s desperate need to rest won, and she fell into a deep slumber while Herc remained beside her, clasping her hand in his.
* * *
Meg’s eyes snapped open, gasping for breath. She sat up , leaning back on her hand as her other hand pressed against her forehead. She looked up at Charon, holding out his hand for a coin. She looked in her hand, empty as always.
“Nut-Meg”
“Megara” Her eyes fluttered open and she found herself in a cold sweat, Herc clinging to her almost desperately. He rubbed her hair back, kissing her forehead. She was confused, she couldn’t even remember falling asleep. She looked up through half-closed eyes and could make out his shining blue eyes standing over her the way the robed Charon had.
“No… its me, Herc. It was just a dream you’re awake now” He explained cautiously. Her eyes fluttered opened again as she was able to fully register her surroundings. She tried to sit up only to have Herc push her back. “No no no… you have to relax.”
“Herc please…take me home” She pleaded. “If you don’t the next time you fall asleep I’ll get up and walk home myself.”
“Megara…”
“If I managed to run halfway across Thebes with these… wounds… I’m pretty sure I can limp home stitched up” She narrowed her eyes at him, and she sighed.
“Okay lets compromise. Stay here tonight, and if you don’t have one of those… fits, we can go home tomorrow morning and I’ll take care of you at home unless you have one again. Is that okay?” Meg squinted an eye at him, analyzing him as if deciding whether or not to take his deal but after a moment she relented.
“Fine.” She sighed, “Tomorrow morning though, promise?” He chuckled a little, glad that she was feeling more like herself.
“I promise.” he placed his hand on her cheek again, bringing his lips against her forehead before pausing, biting his lip. “Meg… do you remember what happened? Anything..” His voice trailed off.
“No.” Her brows furrowed as she thought, recalling her blackouts and waking up in odd places injured in some way. She wondered if she should tell him, but she was afraid to. She was afraid to even admit to herself what she thought it could be. “Herc I swear to you I don’t know how this happened.” She added, worried that he would doubt her. She opened her mouth to tell her about the dreams, about what she sees during what Herc referred to as “fits”, and about her previous blackout periods. But at the same time, something in her was afraid to but she couldn’t explain what.
Watching her, Herc seemed to sense her distress and reached out to brush a few hairs out of her face. His attempt at comfort didn’t calm her much and she sighed deeply, trying to sit up only to have Herc push her back down again, “Herc I can sit up” She told him. “Now, help me up against the head of the bed.”
“You need rest.” He corrected.
“I’m feeling restless you know very well I’ll get up-”
“Fine.” He relented, reaching out to help her sit up, frowning when she winced and let out a gasp, “Are you-” “I’m fine.” She interrupted. “Just… a little sore. As I’m sure you can understand.” Though sore was quite an understatement, it was taking quite a bit of self control not to whimper.
Herc nodded, “C-can I do anything… to help, y-you, with the-the pain.” he stammered. She just smiled at him, “Herc, calm down.” She reached to pat his hand with her good arm, “I’ll live” Herc chuckled nervously and reached for her hand with his, clasping it before his smile faded and he brought her fingers up to his lips.
“Meg, I’m supposed to protect you. I’m the hero… I’m so sorry… I’ve let you down. It’s my fault-”
“Don’t! Don’t try to blame yourself, or, or think that there was something you were supposed to do.” Herc looked ready to interject but she continued, “You cant stay awake at all hours even you need sleep.”
“I should have heard something though, woken-”
“STOP IT! Herc, just stop it…” She winced and held her stomach. Shouting with stitches, lets add that to the list of things to remember never to do again she mentally scolded herself. “Hercules, I don’t blame you for this, in fact I’m grateful to you. You got me to the hospital quickly, who knows what would have happened if it was left up to that idiotic guard.” Herc smiled a little at her and nodded, biting his tongue and letting her win the argument.
“Alright. But I promise I’ll find out what happened to you.” He brushed her hair out of her face, and Meg gave into his touch, tilting her head into his hand. He leaned forward to kiss her forehead and she pulled him down with her good arm so that their lips met. She pulled back and touched the soft skin beneath his eye.
“You look like you could use some rest.”
“Yeah, I’ll agree with that”
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